


Rooftop Hangs

by thisismybrainrain



Series: centuries of brooding and blood [3]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Brotp, F/F, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-04-29 10:08:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5123651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisismybrainrain/pseuds/thisismybrainrain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Faith finds Carmilla in Vienna when she has a rare evening without Laura.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rooftop Hangs

**Author's Note:**

  * For [skeletonannie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skeletonannie/gifts), [kiira](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiira/gifts).



> thank you to Cole and Sophie for being enthusiastic about Faith and Carm and inspiring this little writing experiment. 
> 
> thank you to the creators of these characters. they mean so much. 
> 
> come find me on tumblr thisismybrainrain

Laura was out with Laf and Perry at a Rocky Horror picture show. 

Carmilla had chosen to stay at home. She’d seen them so many times throughout her the years and as she practically was a poster child for the Halloween holiday she felt it was better to let Laura have fun with their friends. 

Their friends. It was still an odd concept for Carmilla to wrap her head around. Laura always told her they were her friends too.

In all her years, Mattie had been her only true friend. Now she was alive again or as alive as she could be and the big bad was gone and they were all hauled up in Vienna. She’d forgiven Carmilla quickly. They had had bigger problems to fry. Maman was dead. 

This Saturday was an empty one. Spike had gone home to London to be with Buffy and there was no one to hang out with. 

Even Lawrence had found some of her old Summer friends the ones who'd escaped before the Vorde rule had started and, hauled up in a log cabin in the mountains. She was not okay with her new found nature but had herself a girlfriend now.

Carmilla knew what is was like to be a kitten. The bloodlust fogging up your mind 24/7 was tough to get used to and to have someone there helped a lot. But Xena’s new girlfriend, Kelly, it turned out was part werewolf and was totally cool with helping Lawrence adapt to her still fairly fresh monstrous nature. 

Carmilla was strangely happy for her. It sucked. She felt partly responsible by giving that information to Laura all those moons ago and setting off another chain of destruction. But, as Laura reminded her and she Laura on the bad nights - it wasn’t anyone’s fault really other than the dead twerps for pushing that first domino. He had had centuries of bad karma trailing after him for a good long while.

Carmilla walked to the fridge she picked up a bag of blood and a bottle of whisky. 

She was about to make her way up to steel staircase to the roof when the doorbell rang. 

She pulled open the door and there stood the woman, the legend, Faith Lehane.  
‘Hey’, she said.  
‘Hey, ‘Carmilla replied, ‘not to be rude, but what are you doing here?’

‘Slayers are out here training, thought I’d drop in. Spike told me you were gonna be all on your own and I wanted to check everything was 5x5 with you and Hollis.’ 

Carmilla chuckled and waved her in the whisky bottle still in her hand.

‘Party for one, kid?’ 

Carmilla rolled her eyes, ‘it’s just an empty night. I was gonna spend some time with the stars.’

‘Poetic, huh. Don’t fancy a hunt, Carm?’ Faith teased.

Carmilla shook her head. The glint of teeth caught in the lamp light, ‘no. I am hungry though.’

‘Let’s get up there then. Whisky. Good choice, kid,’ 

-

They were sitting on the floor in warm blankets heads tipped looking at the stars. 

Carmilla has drained her cup of blood. It sat abandoned beside them. The bottle of whisky between them. 

‘You mean all of these stars have some deep ass meaning. I mean I know Willow is always going on about these sorts of things but it doesn’t mean I pay attention.’

‘You a bit distracted by something at them scooby meetings, huh?,’ Carmilla raised her eyebrow, smirking, ‘or someone.’ she added.

‘Not a word, Karnstein.’ She said punching her shoulder lightly. 

‘I’ve got Slayer strength you know. Not afraid of some ancient teenager like you.’ 

Carmilla laughed. ‘Alright, crushes on blondes.’

‘Like, you can talk, vamp,' Faith winked

Carmilla smiled , ‘Yeah, but, at least I’m honest about it.’ 

Faith huffed, ‘hey, do you want me to rinse this bottle. Or are you gonna shut up and tell me about them constellations.’ 

Carmilla laughed throatily for a moment and pointed at Cassiopeia. 

‘Okay, right, see that upside down W. M shape. That’s Cassiopeia she was a queen who liked to go on and on about her own beauty.’

‘Kid, how dya know all this stuff?’

Carmilla looked over at Faith, ’I’ve been here long enough and they of all the things, they make me feel most alive.’

Faith looked back at Carmilla, silent giving her room to speak. 

Carmilla passed her back the bottle and continued, ‘it’s the place where I can breathe. Sometimes rooms get too much and the stars well, they've always been here for me. Even in the before, when I actually needed to breathe, they were there. When I was a young and newly turned, they didn’t judge me or oust me for being a monster they just looked back. You know, I mean I know they’re not-‘  
Faith interrupted her with a hand on her arm.

‘Kid, it’s me. I get it. Breathing is muscle memory. All this doesn't go away as you get older, it still effects you.’

‘Yeah?, 'Carmilla asked running a hand through her hair.

‘Yeah. I mean, I had this slayer gig thrust on me. When I was 14, my mum out all hours. Dad gone. I was on my own. I had to hunt and survive. Then this watcher guy comes knocking on my door one day offers me an out. I was some badass wannabee kid all. Fake tattoos and book smart but always getting chucked out of school for standing up to some dick or another and then suddenly, someone’s coming in telling me I’m third in line to some superhero destiny. I thought, sign me the fuck up, I’m outta here.’

 

Carmilla carried on looking at her. 

 

‘I don’t usually talk like this. There’s only a handful of people who understand and the other two of them are like with each other it’s a thing.’ 

‘Faith look, you know, Laura adores you and you’re welcome here anytime,’ said Carmilla 

Faith sighed, ‘Laura said on the phone and thanks, kid, for listening and all that. Tell me about you. Are you 5x5?’

‘Eh. Okay I suppose. My mother is finally dead. Mattie is alive. Laura is just about at her bouncy levels happy but, the struggles are still there.’

‘Closets?’ Faith asked

‘Closets. Laura was so bright, Faith. It was and is still ineffable, sometimes, I can’t even tell you- in all my years, I’ve never -I mean, I punch less walls these  
days is what I’m saying, she’s helped me deal. She makes me want to better, Faith not just for her but for myself,’ she said.

‘That’s all anyone could want, kid. Being alone though, for a while - it’s needed for me I think.’ 

‘Did she tell you she killed for me, Faith? Carmilla asked her voice taught with emotion.

‘She did, kid. She did. Damn, Karnstein. There ain’t a higher declaration than that is there?

Carmilla sniffed a little and took a swig from the whisky bottle. 

She looked up at the stars for a moment and said, ‘no, no there really isn’t.’


End file.
